Home for the Holidays

by Terry Spear

  “Peter’s coming over for dinner later so we can talk at my house. I told him about everything.”

  “And his secret?” Laurel asked. She glanced at Jake and Trevor.

  The brothers cast each other a knowing look. Meghan swore they knew Peter had a secret he wasn’t sharing with her.

  “I’m going to take a look around your home,” Trevor said to Meghan.

  “All right.” Meghan handed him the set of keys to her house.

  “I’ll walk around the inn grounds,” Jake said.

  When the guys left, Meghan said, “Maybe Peter doesn’t have a secret and him ending the conversation so abruptly was just because it was guy talk. But Trevor and Jake seemed to want to leave here in a hurry, as if they didn’t want us to question them about it. I want to talk to Peter about my ability to commune with ghosts, to make sure he understands about that. At least he knows about Rollins now.”

  “That’s a good idea. It was so important for me to know CJ didn’t think I was just imagining things,” Laurel said.

  Ellie hung up the phone again. She was already making reservations through the summer next year. “The same with Brett and me.”

  Laurel asked, “So how long has the kissing like that been going on between you and Peter?”

  “In public and when Peter’s wearing his uniform? Never,” Meghan said, amused her sister would bring it up now. Though if Laurel hadn’t, Ellie was sure to have.

  “Except for the scene at the square today,” Ellie said.

  “Oh yeah, that. What about in private?” Laurel asked.

  Meghan felt her cheeks warm several degrees. Her sisters smiled.

  “Duly noted,” Laurel said. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

  “Well, we wondered when you had to pull the plug on your bedroom phone,” Ellie said. “Oh, wait, you were wearing the red dress! Unless Laurel ran over to your house late last night to unzip the dress, bet you had to ask Peter to unzip it and that led to…more.”

  Meghan didn’t confirm. “The business with Rollins was just dropped on poor Peter all at once. Who knows how he’ll handle the paranormal issues.”

  “Unless he’s hiding how he feels about them, I don’t think you have any worries there,” Laurel said.

  “Yeah, and if kissing you like that in front of us and Trevor and Jake is any indication, it seems your actions with Rollins don’t bother him. Plus, having Bill pop into the area may have pushed Peter to get this show on the road,” Ellie said.

  “It’s not a show,” Meghan said.

  Laurel and Ellie smiled again. “It was for us,” Laurel said. “A really enjoyable show.”

  Her sisters laughed. Meghan smiled, then frowned. “But he’s never seen me in action when I’m trying to deal with lost souls. He might not be able to handle it.” Meghan had watched a show where a psychic helped police solve criminal cases and her husband was totally supportive of her ability—talking to her about her cases, offering suggestions, always giving her emotional support—even though he couldn’t sense ghosts at all. Of course, it was only a TV show, not real life. Even so, that’s what Meghan hoped for. A mate who would be understanding, even if he didn’t have her abilities.

  She could think of nothing worse than having a mate who thought she just had a wild imagination. What if she had kids who had the same ability as she had? Would he want to stifle their abilities? Be afraid others would judge them badly? She swore if she and Peter didn’t work out, she’d be totally up front with the next guy she dated. First date, she’d say…well, she wouldn’t know what to say. The only way to know for certain how a possible mate would view her abilities was to have to deal with an apparition in front of him, she imagined. She suspected if she came out and asked a bachelor what he thought of her ability to see ghosts, he’d say it was fine with him. But only because there was a shortage of she-wolves in the pack. Would he truly be supportive of her after the mating? Or wish he’d found someone who was more…normal?

  She realized her sisters had been talking to each other while she was thinking this over and were both looking at her as if they figured she hadn’t been listening to the conversation they’d been having.

  “You and Peter will be fine.” Ellie placed her hands over her heart and looked heavenward. “After what we saw of the…kiss.”

  Laurel agreed. “Yeah, I think things are moving right along for the two of you. After you and Peter have dinner at your place, he can bring you over to my house.”

  “All right.” Meghan knew if she said she’d stay at her own home, more men would have to safeguard her around the clock, but if she stayed with one of her sisters, her mate could be Meghan’s protection. Normally, she’d prefer to stay home and not feel like she was interrupting anything between CJ and her sister, but with the idea of facing Rollins alone? She wanted some male wolf muscle.

  If she had to call the police this time? No problem. They were all wolves.

  She and her sisters suddenly heard their resident ghost, Chrissy, sobbing in the basement. They all turned to look in the direction of the hall that led to the stairs. They had additional guest rooms down there, so they were glad all their guests were out enjoying the area and not in their rooms hearing the ghostly sounds. If they were able to.

  “Chrissy,” Meghan said. “Now what’s wrong?”

  Meghan and her sisters didn’t know how to help the ghostly Victorian-era maid find closure and move on. She’d grown up here as a young girl and was working as a maid before she died of a fever, just as her mother had worked as a maid here earlier. Her mother had apparently died before that and her spirit must have left well before Meghan and her sisters bought the place. Meghan and her sisters had tried everything they could think of to help Chrissy move on, but none of the methods that had worked on many of their ghostly exorcisms had succeeded for her. Chrissy had sworn up and down that she was happy here. But from time to time during the holidays this year, she’d had crying fits and no one could learn what the matter was.

  “Since you left to see Bill at the clinic, she’s been sobbing off and on. Ellie and I took turns trying to console her. Nothing has helped, and she can’t seem to tell us what’s bothering her,” Laurel said.

  “She needs to find peace.” They had enough troubles with an attempted murderer lurking around Silver Town, if Rollins was still in the area, without having the added problem of a wailing ghost in their basement. Because all three sisters could hear and see ghosts, sometimes they forgot that not all people were as sensitive to such sightings. Still, they worried about how their guests would view this if they could see and hear the ghost. Certainly, her wailing wouldn’t be conducive to a pleasant stay.

  “I’ll see her.” Meghan headed for the stairs to the basement. She’d even tried to convince Chrissy to move to her home behind the inn so if Chrissy continued to have meltdowns, she could do so in the privacy of the house. Not in the inn filled with guests. Though Meghan wasn’t sure she could “move” Chrissy. Some ghosts were attached to a place. Others to objects. Some to people. Chrissy appeared bound to the inn.

  Thankfully, Chrissy had stopped sobbing before Meghan arrived at the bottom of the stairs. When she reached the room that had been Chrissy’s while she worked as a maid, Meghan could see the woman as plain as day, dusting the furniture with a feather duster. Her long, blue dress touched the top of her short, laced-up boots, her white apron trimmed with lace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a bun, and she wore a traditional maid’s cap. “Chrissy, what’s wrong?”

  Chrissy turned to face her, tears streaking her face, her eyes red from crying.

  “We can hear you all the way upstairs. We’re worried about you.”

  “It’s going to be Christmas soon,” Chrissy said, suddenly vanishing and then reappearing next to Meghan.

  Even though Meghan was used to the way ghosts moved about, appearing and disappeari
ng at will, Chrissy’s sudden movement startled her. Chrissy looked hopeful that Meghan might be able to do something about her being upset.

  “You mentioned Christmas.”

  Chrissy nodded.

  “Lots of Christmases have passed and—”

  “Not since you and your sisters arrived. The inn was vacant forever and in ruins. No Christmases. No celebrations. No lights. No…no presents.”

  “You weren’t this distraught last Christmas.” Meghan knew something more had to be bothering her.

  “Your sisters have found mates.”

  Meghan frowned. They’d wondered if Chrissy was a wolf like them, but they’d never asked. What benefit could come of it? It could upset her more. They couldn’t smell her scent, except for violets sometimes. But not her actual human scent. Or wolf, if she had been one.

  Meghan finally asked, “Are you a wolf too?”

  Chrissy’s eyes widened. She nodded. “Now you’re going to mate soon. And then I’ll be the only one without one.”

  Meghan’s mouth gaped. Chrissy wanted a mate? Ohmigod, how in the world could they find a ghostly mate for her? That would take one Christmas miracle.

  “Was there anyone you were sweet on?” This could be a total nightmare. If he was a wolf, he could still be alive. Wolves could live hundreds of years. If he was human, he would be dead, but could Meghan even find him, no matter what he was?

  Chrissy nodded.

  Meghan felt chills run up her spine. What if the two of them became ghostly mated wolves and… Well, she didn’t even want to think of what could go on between them and the disturbances they could cause.

  “You’re in trouble,” Chrissy said matter-of-factly, and Meghan realized she’d been eavesdropping on her and her sisters.

  That was the thing about ghosts of lupus garous. With their enhanced hearing as wolves, they could easily eavesdrop.

  “Yeah. I made a mistake a while back,” Meghan said, thinking that maybe if she shared what was troubling her with Chrissy, the ghostly maid would continue to share with Meghan what was going on with her. “I sent a man to prison for attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend. He’s a wolf. Now he’s come here to Silver Town to kill me, I’m afraid.”

  Chrissy put her hands against her chest in alarm, the duster resting against her clean white apron. “Oh my. You must ask Alvin if he can protect you, though I haven’t seen him in so long, I don’t know what’s become of him.” Her eyes misted with fresh tears.

  “He’s your beau? Alvin?”

  “Alvin Browning Mainstreet. He works in the silver mine.”

  That had been shut down. A whole bunch of miners had worked there. Some had died. Meghan brightened. What if Alvin had died and his spirit was still hanging around the old mine? Not that she hoped he had died. But what if he was still living and had mated someone else? Ugh.

  Meghan didn’t recognize the name offhand. Maybe some of the old-timers would.

  “Was he your beau?” Meghan asked again.

  Chrissy nodded. “I keep hoping he’ll come see me. I thought he was going to propose to me for Christmas. But that was so long ago. Maybe he’s got a new girl. I just…I just want to know. It’s nearly Christmas, and…and I don’t have anyone to share it with.”

  “Okay, I’ll see what I can learn about him. Why didn’t you tell any of us about him before?”

  Chrissy pursed her lips. “How would you feel if Peter found another girl and he didn’t mate you?” She sighed. “I guess…I didn’t want to know if Alvin is seeing someone else. Not until you and Peter…”

  “We’re not mated wolves yet.”

  “I know, but if you don’t mate him, Peter will die.”

  Meghan smiled.

  “I’m serious. When his wife died, Peter was inconsolable.”

  “Wife?” Meghan hadn’t meant to sound so shocked, but man, was she!

  Chrissy bit her lip, her eyes wide. “He…he didn’t tell you yet?”

  Meghan cleared her throat. “Uh, no, but I’m sure he is going to tonight over dinner.” She couldn’t believe he hadn’t told her about his mate! Was that the secret? Was he still carrying a torch for her? Some wolves never mated again after they had lost their mate. He had to have lost her, or he wouldn’t be courting Meghan now, if Chrissy knew what she was talking about. Meghan wanted to ask how Chrissy knew about it, but she wanted to hear the story straight from Peter. Was he afraid she’d think badly of him because he’d already been mated? Some wolves would feel guilty if they found another wolf to love and worry that others would feel they were being disloyal to the memory of their first wolf mate.

  “I’m sorry,” Chrissy said, looking forlorn all over again.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for.” Meghan wanted to give Chrissy a hug and comfort her. She felt terrible seeing the maid so upset and being unable to give her a human hug. “I’ll see what I can learn about Alvin. Just…talk to us if you’re feeling down, okay?” What if Meghan found him and she couldn’t get the two of them together? She could see being a ghost courier—taking messages back and forth between the ghosts to make them happy. Forever.

  “All right.” Chrissy gave her a winsome smile and began dusting the dresser again. Too bad her efforts were in vain. Yes, she could move objects, throw them, write on a fogged-up mirror, and more, but actually picking up dust with her ghostly duster? That didn’t seem to be doable.

  Which meant Meghan had to dust over any place that Chrissy had already cleaned, hoping the sensitive spirit didn’t catch her at it. The last time Chrissy had, she’d been scared to death Meghan or her sisters would fire her for not cleaning the inn properly. As if they could fire her.

  Chrissy faded into thin air, and Meghan figured she was done talking. At least Chrissy wasn’t crying any longer. For now.

  Meghan walked up the stairs and joined her sisters in the lobby. “Have any guests returned yet?” She didn’t think so since she hadn’t heard anyone’s voices other than her sisters’ muted ones.

  Ellie shook her head. “You got Chrissy to stop crying.”

  “For the moment.” Meghan asked them if they knew an Alvin Browning Mainstreet.

  “Nope, but you can always ask my mate if he has anything in the archives at the newspaper office,” Ellie said.

  “That’s a great idea,” Meghan said. “I’ll just run over to the newspaper office and—”

  Her sisters shook their heads.

  Meghan frowned, then realized why they were saying no to the plan. “I will kill Rollins myself this time.” She was so angry, realizing just how much she hated confinement when she was eager to solve Chrissy’s dilemma.

  “Who is he?” Laurel asked.

  “Chrissy’s old beau. A silver miner.”

  “No,” both Ellie and Laurel said at the same time.

  “You don’t think you can bring his ghost here if he’s a ghost and still earthbound, do you?” Laurel asked.

  “I don’t know if I can or if I should. What if I somehow managed it and they became mated wolves?”

  “She’s a wolf?” Ellie asked.

  “Yeah. And then we could be hearing their mating moans and whatever else we might witness.”

  Ellie smiled. Laurel shook her head.

  Though she didn’t make an appearance, Chrissy’s voice could be heard in the distance. “We’ll shut the door.” Chrissy definitely had a wolf’s hearing.

  The sisters shared looks that said they didn’t think that would help, but then they all smiled.

  “All right, I’ll call Brett and ask if he’s got any information on Alvin,” Meghan said, tapping in Brett’s number. She hated making any calls Chrissy might overhear. “Hey, Brett, Chrissy’s a bit melancholy over the holidays, and she said she had a beau named Alvin Browning Mainstreet and he was a silver miner. I’d go over to the newspaper office to check it o
ut, but I need around-the-clock-protection, and so do your mate and Laurel.”

  “I’m looking it up now. Okay, I have an obituary for Alvin, died in a mining accident…well, six months after Chrissy died, apparently. He had no next of kin.”

  “Was he a wolf?”

  “I can’t tell from this. All I know is that some of the miners were wolves and some were humans. I don’t remember him.”

  “Chrissy would know. And if she figures he’s still alive, he must be a wolf.” Meghan half expected Chrissy to pop up and tell her what Alvin was. “Was he at the main shaft?”

  “Uh, yeah, but you’ve got to be careful around the mine. Not to mention you can’t go unescorted anyway.”

  “Do you want to use it for a news story and go with me?” Meghan was hopeful he would.

  “You mean a ghost story? Hotel ghost in love with miner ghost in a story of star-crossed lovers.” Brett chuckled.

  “More in the vein of two people in love who were never able to share mated love? Married bliss. And yes, they’d be star-crossed lovers. I’ll find out what I can from Chrissy, and then if I can…” Meghan paused. She didn’t want to say Alvin was dead without telling Chrissy in person first. “Well, you know.”

  “Don’t worry. Whether there’s a story in it or not, I’ll help you.”

  “Thanks, Brett. You’re a great brother-in-law.”

  “Thanks. I’m only too glad to help. But you need to okay any field trips with Peter first. The story about Rollins is my first priority, and I’m trying to get the word out to all our people to be on the lookout for him.”

  Meghan’s heart sank. She didn’t want everyone to know why Rollins was here.

  When she didn’t say anything, Brett said, “Hey, if you’re worried about how our people feel, most everyone’s behind you on this. You did what you had to do. Some would have just let him kill the woman instead of turning him in to the police. Would that have been a better solution? Not for the woman he had been attacking. And while he was free, he could have continued his rampage. He could very well have landed himself in prison later. So it worked out for the best. Now he’s in our territory, or at least we hope so, and we can handle him. Let him take on men more his size.”